Two Princes
by Just Another Fanatic
Summary: After a Stoll prank meant for Katie ends up getting an Aphrodite girl, the girl and her siblings place a spell on Travis and Connor to fall for the same girl, Katie. At first, she has no intention of choosing either one, until she starts to fall for both of them. Tratie and Contie.
1. Chapter 1

The Strawberries

Sometimes, it was just too difficult for Katie to stand. Travis and Connor would pull some prank and she'd usually scream at them, chase them, even tangle them up in some bush branches. But, sometimes, she would turn around, back into her cabin, and shower off whatever disgusting material that had ended up on her head. And, once in a while, she'd even cry as she did so.

All the girls at camp knew this would happen and most felt sorry for her. Travis and Connor were relentless. They pranked everyone, but it seemed that every other prank they pulled was on Katie.

It started on one of those days that Katie couldn't stand it. She stepped outside, ready to go to the strawberry fields, when a bucket of green goo tipped onto her head, covering her.

She heard Travis and Connor laughing, and took two steps towards them before they began running away. They thought they were leading her to the second phase of their prank, but Katie decided that she'd rather shower first, before she could find out what happened if the goo hardened.

"I don't think she's chasing us," Connor noticed first.

"Hey, you're right," Travis said. "Damn. I guess we should disassemble the trap before someone-" There was a loud scream just behind them. They turned to see a young Aphrodite camper hanging upside down from a tree branch, a rope around one ankle, trying desperately to hold her skirt down... or up... well to keep it from showing her panties.

"And it's been sprung," Connor said.

The brothers immediately went to help her down, but she was no fool. She knew it was their trap that she had stepped into.

"We're so sorry, Callie," Travis said, holding her while Connor sawed through the rope. "This wasn't meant for you, it was meant for Katie."

"Well, how did I end up in it then?" she yelled. The rope was cut through and Travis caught her, before setting her down.

"We thought that Katie would follow us and would set it off," Connor said. He jumped down and then helped get the rope off from around her foot.

"Well, maybe you shouldn't be such obnoxious pranksters," Callie said. She flipped her hair off her shoulders, and even though she was only twelve, both boys, aged sixteen and seventeen, smiled a bit. They blinked out of it rather quickly.

However, she wasn't finished. She was going to punish them, and with the help of a few siblings, she knew exactly how.

"You don't think this is a little harsh?" Jessica asked. Jessica was thirteen, but had never been a victim of a Stoll prank.

"This is perfect," Archie said. He had been a multiple prankee.

With two more sisters, they all held hands and burnt some oil in a small bowl. They all concentrated together and then burnt two pictures, one of the brothers, and one of an object they would both desire.

* * *

As Katie exited her cabin, she was careful. Two showers were enough for one day, though there had been times she had needed more. Five was her current record.

She froze, however, when she spotted Travis walking out of his cabin. When she had first arrived at camp, she had had a slight crush on him, until he began pranking her. He was still good-looking, though what used to be cute was now handsome. He was tall, and she personally liked the curly brown hair that others found messy. His smirk was evil, but when he genuinely smiled, it was always a little lopsided and it exposed a broken tooth that had never been fixed. She didn't know exactly what had happened, but she knew that before the Titan war it had been whole, and that she only noticed it was broken once they had returned to camp. He was lean with toned muscles and sun tanned skin. And beautiful blue eyes.

Apparently Katie was the only one that saw any difference between Connor and Travis other than Travis being two inches taller. Conner's face was a little more cut than Travis. When Connor smiled, the cliff in his chin stood out a little more, and his smile was straight. There were no broken teeth in Connor's mouth. He also had slightly bigger muscles, probably because Travis used a sword while Connor used a heavy axe. He was a little more typically handsome, in Katie's opinion. But, like Travis, he had the curly hair, beautiful blue eyes, just a shade lighter than his brother's, and the same color skin from the sun.

For obvious reasons, Katie never shared her thoughts on how they looked with anyone, not even her diary. Instead, she allowed them to build up all summer, and then would spend about an hour once she got home writing it all down, before burning them.

"Katie!" Travis said. She forced herself to move, very slowly, her eyes scanning everything in the surrounding area, attempting to spot Connor or anything that could be connected to a trap. However, she spotted nothing, and as Travis got closer, she realized that she could see his broken tooth... he was smiling, not smirking. Assuming she could still read him correctly, he was not pulling any kind of prank.

"Hello, Travis," she said slowly. She used to call him 'Stoll' but as she had also been calling Connor that, it had become too confusing stating who she meant every time and had taken to using their first names. "Is there something I can help you with?"

"No," Travis said. "Well, yes." He frowned a moment, and then bit his lip.

"Yes or no," Katie asked. "Which is it?"

"Yes," he finally decided. "I need some strawberries."

She gestured toward the fields. "Have your pick."

"I need to make sure that they're perfect ones," he said. "I was hoping that you could help me... pick some."

Katie sighed. "Fine," she said. "I was heading there anyway." She narrowed her eyes. "I had been heading there before I was covered in goo..."

"Oh, sorry about that," Travis said, and Katie was sure that his cheeks turned a little pink.

She took a deep breath and then continued towards the fields.

Everyone knew that Katie loved strawberries. A few of the newer campers still remembering names had taken to call her Strawberry because of her love for the fruit. But she was also a romantic, so when she asked Travis why he needed the strawberries and he said that it was for a girl (and promised that he wasn't going to use them in a prank) she actually helped him pick out two dozen perfect specimens. He thanked her and headed toward the camp again with them.

She hadn't picked more than four when she noticed Connor approaching.

"Oh, Katie, please, help me," Connor begged on his knees.

"Yes?" she asked.

"I need strawberries!"

She gestured around them. "I think you could find one or two."

"But I need perfect strawberries," he said.

She sighed. "What is up with you and your brother and strawberries today?"

His blue eyes widened. "He wanted strawberries too?"

"Why do you find that so surprising?" Katie asked. "You're practically his clone."

At that, Connor frowned. "You don't really see me that way, do you?"

"No, I guess not," Katie said.

Connor sighed, as if it were a huge relief. "So, about those strawberries."

It wasn't long before Connor too had a dozen perfect strawberries.

Hours later, Katie was settling down to dinner with her cabin and the rest of camp when there were yells outside. Before anyone could check to see what the matter was, the two Stolls burst into the dining pavilion, each with a plate in hand. They raced through the room until the both stood across the table from Katie. At the same time, they slammed down the plates. On the plate Travis had produced was a cake with whipped cream frosting and strawberries decorating it. A bit of juice made Katie think that there were strawberries between the two layers of cake.

The plate Connor had were the dozen perfect strawberries Katie had helped him pick, each dipped in a swirl of dark, milk, and white chocolate and topped with powdered sugar. Katie stared wide-eyed at the two dishes, each looking delicious. She was also very confused. And then, at the same time, they each announced, "Katie Gardner, I love you!"

* * *

**So, this is something that I've been contemplating for a bit, and decided to try it out. So, there is no name (at least that I know of) for a Katie/Connor ship, so I'm between Katnor and Contie. Anyway, this will be both Tratie and Katnor/Contie... at least for now. When and if I finish it, she will eventually settle on one, but I really don't have much planned for now.**


	2. Chapter 2

Too Alike

"How could you do this to me!" Katie yelled, fire in her green eyes. It hadn't taken her long to figure out that this had to be the doing of the Aphrodite cabin, and once there, the culprits had been picked out and seated on a bed for Katie to yell at. "What have I ever done to any of you to deserve this kind of torture?"

"Torture?" Callie asked. "You call this torture? What about all the pranks that those two have pulled on you over the years?"

"They did both make you two of your favorite desserts," Archie said.

"Which I noticed you ate," Callie said.

"Not all of it," Katie mumbled. She had sacrificed a piece of each to the gods and had had a slice of the cake and two of the strawberries. The rest of the desserts were currently in her cabin, on her night stand. The two had insisted that she take them. "But, still, this isn't fair to them."

"What do you care about being fair to them?" Callie asked. "Think of this as justice. After all the pranks they have pulled on you, they will never pull another one on you, as long as they're both in love with you."

"It's not real love!" Katie said loudly.

"Oh, no, it's real," Callie insisted. "It's just been strengthened, altered... but when several of us work together to make people fall in love, that love is real." She sighed. "Think of it this way. You can have them do all your chores, make you desserts, do stupid tasks for you. It's payback for all the times they poured some sort of gross liquid on you, or TPed your cabin, or... whatever. You have suffered more at their hands than anyone else, so it's only fitting that they fall in love with you as their punishment."

"How do I break it?" Katie asked.

"That, Katie is a question even we do not know," Archie said.

"So I might be stuck with these two drooling over me for the rest of my life?" Katie asked.

"Hey, at least you won't have to worry about monsters," Jessica said. "They'd gladly give their lives for you."

"Granted, they might fight one another to the death over you," Archie said.

"Oh, gods, this can't be happening to me," Katie said. She spun around, her brown hair fanning out in a way that only happened when one was in the Aphrodite cabin, and she ran to make sure the two weren't about to fight.

She found the two pulling on their helmets, each already wearing their armor. She threw herself between them "Don't fight!" she demanded. "Whatever you do, you two are brothers and I don't want you to fight over me."

The two stared at her. It was Travis who spoke first. "We weren't about to," he said. He smirked. "I can win your love without killing off the competition."

"Very funny, Travis," Connor said. He got on his knees and took one of Katie's hands, kissing it. "How were the chocolate dipped strawberries?"

"Wait, but, if you're not about to fight, why are you in your battle gear?" Katie asked.

"The question is why aren't you in yours?" Travis said. "Capture the Flag starts in about two minutes."

Katie sighed. That was the best news she had heard all day. Apparently she was so worried about the Stolls that she forgot about Capture the Flag. For a moment, she wondered why she had been worried about them at all. If they killed one another off, her problem would be solved, and she'd never be pranked by them again.

Then again, she couldn't imagine a Camp Half-Blood without them. She ran to her cabin and pulled on her armor and helmet, grabbing her celestial bronze knife, before returning to the game. She went barefoot, as it helped her feel more connected to the earth and the plants. She, of course, was flanked by Travis and Connor, sort of. They were each very quiet and sneaky. She couldn't find them half the time, but she knew they were there, protecting her.

A pair of Ares campers jumped out of the bushes as Katie was passing by. She yelped, but the Stolls appeared and began to defend her. Travis was locked in a sword fight with a boy about two years younger, while Connor used the side of his axe to knock this fighter down. It was a girl. She ripped off her helmet.

"What is your problem, Stoll!" she yelled. "You're on our team today!"

"Wait, wait," Katie asked, taking off her helmet. She used some tall grass to break Travis and his sparring partner apart. She looked between Travis and Connor. "We're not even on the same team?"

"Technically speaking, no," Connor said.

"But I couldn't imagine being anywhere but by your side, Katie," Travis said, taking one of her hands in both of his.

"I wouldn't be able to bear being away from you," Connor said, taking Katie's other hand in both of his hands.

"Oh, Gods, this is just not right," Katie said.

"You got that right," one of the Ares kids said.

"You know what, no," Katie shook her head. "I'm just not going to play today. I quit. I quit." She pulled both her hands free and turned around.

"Then, allow me to escort you back to your cabin," Connor said keeping along side her as she headed back toward the cabins.

"No, let me carry you," Travis said. He didn't give her a choice as he swept her up into his arms.

"Hey, no, I want to carry her," Connor argued.

Travis took Katie's helmet from her hands and slammed it into Connor's chest. "Carry that."

Katie squirmed out of Travis's arms. "I can walk on my own, thank you," she said, grabbing her helmet from Connor. She took two steps and they were flanking her again, only this time, more closely. After another five steps, she stopped. "Why don't you two go enjoy the game? You love Capture the Flag!"

"Not as much as I love you," Connor said immediately.

Katie groaned. Already, this was worse than them pranking her. At least when they pulled a prank on her, she usually had at least a few hours where she didn't have to see them. As they walked along side her, 'accidentally' brushing against her every few minutes, she began to wish that one of them would dump a bucket of fish guts on her and for them to run off into the forest.

But, they walked her all the way to her cabin. In fact, they tried to follow her in, but she slammed the door in their faces.

"Katie!" She heard Travis begging through the door.

"Go away," she replied. "I'm going to sleep."

* * *

Travis and Connor were returning to their cabin, each plotting a new way to win over Katie's heart. They eyed one another, sizing up their competition. The problem for them was that they were so alike, no matter what one would plan, the other would have a similar plan. That was how the strawberry desserts had come about, after all.

* * *

**Anyway, that was chapter two. Coming up in future chapters: Dates, chocolates, more capture the flag, ridiculous humiliation of others, and more.**


	3. Chapter 3

**To clear up any confusion, this story is in no way connected to The Demigod Trap or its sequel. Nor is it connected to Daughter of Dionysus. This isn't how Katie and Travis got together... I might not even end this with Katie and Travis getting together. I don't plan to use any over-lapping characters of my own creation (though gods, Chiron, and other characters by Rick Riordan will overlap the stories... obviously). But, if you love Tratie, the Demigod Trap is the story for you... and if you love Original characters, Trapped and Daughter of Dionysus are where you belong... though I would read the Demigod Trap before reading Trapped.**

* * *

Singing in the Strawberry Fields

Katie stirred early the next morning. She had had a very good night of sleep (after a small slice of cake and another chocolate dipped strawberry). She very much wanted to stay asleep, and cuddled into the warm body spooning-

Katie sat bolt straight when she realized that she was being spooned. The turned and found Connor in her bed, luckily fully clothed though it was pajamas. "What are you doing?" she snapped. Her shriek of course woke her siblings, who all moaned and pulled various pillows or blankets over their head to block out what would likely be more shouting.

Connor opened his eyes and stretched as he sat up. "I thought you might get cold at night so I decided to keep you warm," he said, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. He then ran his hand through his thoroughly ruffled hair.

For a moment, Katie allowed her green eyes to look over the boy in her bed. Just waking up, Connor carried a bit of his younger cuteness, with very messy hair and no evil smirk on his face. The shirt he wore was probably an older shirt, as it was tight on him, stretching over his muscles and with a rip on the side. He also wore a pair of drawstring shorts that fell to his knees, but his legs were bare below that. As he usually wore pants, Katie was a little surprised to see the muscles of his calves.

But, never the less, she pointed toward the door of the cabin. "Out!"

He didn't argue, probably expecting this. He crawled from the bed, and leaned over to try to kiss Katie. He got a pillow that she held up instead, so he turned and made his way out of the cabin.

Now, definitely fully awake, Katie decided to get a jump on her morning routines. She picked out some clothes, brushed her teeth, and then made her way into the communal bathrooms to shower. After she finished, she reached out for her towel, but didn't find it. She reached out a little farther, but still couldn't grasp it.

"Could someone hand me my towel?" she called, hoping for a response. A moment later, the towel was pressed into her hand. "Thank you."

"You're welcome."

Katie knew that voice. "Travis!" she wrapped the towel tightly around her body, and peeked out from behind her curtain. There he stood, fully clothed, apparently ready for the day. "What are you doing in the girls' bathroom? You know, if Clarisse catches you in here, she'll flush you down the toilet."

"I came in case you needed me," Travis said. "Which you did."

"Get out!"

Half an hour later, Katie was walking towards the strawberry fields, Conner and Travis on either side of her. She decided she was actually going to use them. She handed each of them a large basket, and took a small basket for herself. "We actually need to get some real picking done so that we can sell some for the camp funds." She told them as they walked to the fields. "So, each of you needs to fill two baskets that size with good, ripe strawberries."

"I'll do three," Travis said, smiling his lopsided smile at Katie.

"But I'll do four," Connor said.

"This isn't a race," Katie said. "Each of you do two, and so make sure that you pick good strawberries. Not ones that are too small or not ripened yet."

Both boys nodded and set out into the fields. Katie went to a patch that she hadn't really visited yet that year and began picking as well, but she was picking for the camp's kitchens.

It was a little while later that Katie looked over at the two Stoll brothers. She was surprised to see them getting along. Travis would pick a few strawberries, and then then Connor wasn't looking, he'd steal some from Connor's basket, before getting back to picking. Connor, of course, wasn't stupid, and just when Travis's basket was filled, Connor grabbed it and began walking it to the storage where it would be packaged later that day.

"I've finished one, Katie," he called to her, bright smile on his face.

"He stole my basket," Travis complained, though it was a joking complain.

"Well, half of these came from my basket anyway," Connor replied.

When Connor returned with an empty basket, the two began singing a song together. Katie chuckled, as she hadn't pictured them as knowing any songs, let alone Oldies.

"_Why do you build me up?" _Apparently Travis took the lead.

_"Build me up,"_ and Connor was the back up.

_"Buttercup, Baby, just to let me down."_

_"Let me down."_

_"And mess me around and then worst of all."_

_"Worst of all."_

_"You never call Baby when you say you will."_

_"Say you will."_

_"But I love you still! I need you!"_

_"I need you!"_

_"More than anyone darling. You know that I have from the start. So build me up."_

_"Build me up."_

_"Buttercup, don't break my heart."_

And then, suddenly, Connor was singing while Travis was doing the background humming and lalas.

_"I'll be over at ten, you told me time and again,_

_But you're late, I wait around and then._

_I run to the door, I can't take anymore_

_It's not you. You let me down again."_

_"Hey hey hey."_

_"Baby, baby, I'll try to find."_

_"Hey hey he."_

_"A little time, and I'll make you happy._

_I'll be home. I'll be beside the phone waiting for you."_

"Okay, choose a new song and not something about love or want or... choose something totally unexpected." Katie had noticed that their singing had been very directed at her.

"Oh, Katie, you're no fun," Connor called out.

"That's alright, I know the perfect song," Travis said.

There was silence for a few moments while Travis whispered in Connor's ear. Katie feared that she going to wish she hadn't disturbed their song. Connor nodded a few times, a smile growing on his face. Then, they both grabbed their baskets and were on either side of Katie within moments, but facing the vine behind her. Connor began beat-boxing.

"_I'm bringing sexy back."_

_"Yeah."_

_"Them other boys don't know how to act."_

_"Yeah."_

_"I think it's special what's behind your back."_

_"Yeah."_

_"So turn around and I'll pick up the slack."_

_"Yeah."_

_"Take 'em to the bridge."_

And now Connor was singing while Travis did the beat-boxing.

"_Dirty baabe,"_

_"Uh-huh."_

_"You see these shackles I'm your slave."_

_"Uh-huh."_

_"I'll let you whip me if I misbehave."_

_"Uh-huh."_

_"It's just that no one makes me feel this way."_

"Okay, that was plenty," Katie said.

"Oh, but Katie, we're bring sexy back for you," Connor said, pouting his lip.

"No, no more singing," Katie said. She made sure not to face them or they would see the furious blush on her cheeks.

"Then, how do we keep ourselves entertained while we pick strawberries?" Connor asked.

"I usually just, well, pick..." Katie said. "I don't know, I never get bored while picking."

"I suspect that you are probably picturing how the guys look in their swim suits," Connor said. "So, to save you the time, after we finish today, you and I will go to the beach and I'll show you. The only stipulation is that you have to show me your swim suit too."

Katie expected to hear Travis object, but didn't. She turned around and noticed Travis had disappeared. Connor was filling his basket at a pretty rapid pace.

"You know, Connor, I think that's a good idea," she finally said. "I could use some beach time."

She finally spotted Travis again, as she she and Connor were leaving. Apparently he was just starting on his second basket. He smiled at her, and she waved as she left.

* * *

**Because I know you all love me, how about you leave a review. A little constructive criticism wouldn't hurt either. Even if you just want to vote. First poll. What should a Connor/Katie relationship be called? Contie or Katnor? Or do you have another term for it?**

**Second poll. Who should Katie end up with? I will ask this question at the end of every chapter from now on. I just want to see how this changes from chapter to chapter.**

**Third poll. Do you want to see the rest of the camp get involved, or keep it mostly to Katie, Travis, and Connor with another person here or there?**


	4. Chapter 4

**So, here's what I get from you guys. You guys like Contie better than Katnor for a Connor and Katie relationship. You guys want it to be Tratie in the end. And you want others to get involved in this love triangle to make things more interesting, and create more tension. **

**Still, I'd love for you to review at the end. I'll come up with new questions.**

* * *

With Connor at the Beach

"See this shining perfection of Half-Blood glory," Connor proclaimed when he and Katie arrived at the beach, after changing into their swim suits, of course. Katie had her dark brown hair up in a bun and wore a cute sundress, which only revealed that her suit was strapless. The moment they arrived at the beach, Connor had stripped his shirt and shorts to reveal his suit. It was black with red stripes down the sides, but that wasn't what caught Katie's eye. No, it was that he was near 'shining perfection of Half-Blood glory.' She had noticed Connor's calves that morning, and had in the past noticed a few muscles of his shoulders and upper arms, but now she got the whole picture. His washboard six-pack abs, his sculpted pectorals, how his muscles moved under his skin as he posed. Even his back seemed to be muscular. The fact that he was tanned from the sun didn't hurt either. She briefly wondered when his torso got tanned, as she had never seen him with his shirt off before.

"Your turn," Connor said, dropping his towel.

Katie played dumb. "My turn for what?"

"To show me your suit," Connor said.

"Well, if you insist," Katie said. Rather than taking off her sundress, she reached into her beach bag and pulled out a two piece bathing suit. The wide-eyed disappointment made Katie giggle. "You never said I had to model it."

"B-b-but..."

Katie couldn't help but laugh out loud. "I'm kidding, Connor," she said. "I have two suits. That's just one. After all the pranks you have pulled on me, I thought it was about time I pulled one too." With that, she stood up and pulled her dress off, revealing yet another bikini. This one, however, was bright orange and green zebra striped with some hot pink trimming. The top was strapless but held her in rather well, not that she had all that much to hold in. The bottom had a little pink belt with it and high-lighted how nicely her legs flowed into her butt.

Connor just stared in fascination, his blue eyes scanning her body. After a moment, Katie felt a little self-conscious, knowing she wasn't as thin as some of the other girls, and definitely was behind in growing up top. She slid her arms around her stomach, hoping he'd look away.

"I know, not what you were hoping for," Katie said, avoiding looking at him.

However, a moment later, he had stepped closer and was turning her head to face him. She looked at him, a bit surprised that he was looking into her eyes. "Katie, you're beautiful, every bit of you."

His eyes traveled down, just a bit. At first, Katie thought that he was eying her breasts, but then realized that he was looking at her lips. He began to lean in, but Katie quickly turned away and stepped back. She was surprised to feel her heart rate increase and that there was a flutter in her stomach. She needed to change the mood immediately.

"I never put on my swim suit unless I intend to swim," she said, and then headed into the water. A moment later, there were splashes as Connor chased after her. He wrapped an arm around her from behind, took two large steps into the water so it was up to their hips, and then purposely fell, dragging her in with him.

Katie emerged, gasping for breath. The water was a little colder than she had expected, and she hadn't thought she'd get wet so fast. She looked around, but didn't see Connor. "Connor?" She still didn't see him. Even looking down into the water she couldn't spot him, which she found weird because the water was pretty clear. "Connor!" She spun around, looking for him. Almost a little desperately. "Connor!" This time she yelled for him.

"You called for me?" He was right behind her now. She spun to face him, and couldn't help but throw her arms around him, just glad that he was okay. It took her a moment to realize why he suddenly went stock still, remembering how little clothing either of them was wearing.

She released him, cleared her throat, and stepped back. "Where the hell did you disappear to?" she asked.

He pointed to a large boulder. Easily large enough to hide behind. "I wanted to see how long before you got worried." His smile turned into a smirk. "Apparently not long at all."

Katie stared, dumb-founded. Even when he was trying to woo her, he couldn't help but prank her.

"Someone was worried about me," Connor said, pointing at Katie, and dancing a little.

"Stop that now or I'm seriously going to leave," Katie said, crossing her arms. She would have been tapping her foot if it wasn't under water.

"Oh, Katie, have a little fun," Connor said, reaching out and putting his hands on her elbows. It was the safest spot he could think to touch her. Not too intimate, but what was important was that while he held his hands there, she didn't try to get away.

"Jerk," Katie said, looking away. She turned around, which of course caused his hands to briefly caress her waist before he pulled them back. She began back toward shore. "Oh, and one more thing." Katie turned back toward him. Connor was a little confused, not sure what she would yell at him now. However, just when he had opened his mouth to say something, Katie splashed him.

About twenty minutes later, after a splashing war and a short race, Katie sat on her towel and pulled her hair out of its bun. The drenched locks fell against her back and she began running her fingers through them to keep them from knotting.

"Here, let me help with that," Connor said and knelt behind Katie. "I'll give you a french braid."

Katie turned toward him for a moment. "You know how to french braid?" she asked skeptically.

He turned her head forward. "Yeah," he said. "I learned how to so I could help my sister."

"Which sister?" Katie asked. As far as she knew, Connor wasn't close with any of his sisters in the Hermes cabin. Nor could she ever remember a time that one of the girls had a french braid, but then again, she only spent summers at camp and Connor stayed there year round.

"You wouldn't know her," Connor said, pulling at some strands of Katie's hair. "She's my mortal sister."

"You have a mortal sister?" Katie tried turning again, but this time he caught her and kept her facing forward.

"Yeah, Meredith," Connor said. "We call her Merry, like merry Christmas. She's got such a positive disposition. She's actually the reason that Travis and I stay here year-round."

Katie furrowed her brows a bit. "How is that?" she asked. Connor kept pulling in more of her hair, and seemed to be moving rather quickly with the braid. She was actually surprised... and hoped that he wasn't making a crazy mess of her hair.

"Well, she's nine now," Connor said. "But, when she was five, she wanted her hair in french braids for her school picture day because all her friends were wearing them. Our mom worked two jobs, so she didn't have the time to sit down and braid Merry's hair really. And Travis, who was thirteen at the time, was in charge of house repairs and worked around the neighborhood doing odd jobs for a little extra cash so that we could get small treats or go to the movies. Essentially, it was my job to watch Merry and keep the house clean."

Katie chuckled. "You kept the house clean?" She clearly didn't believe him.

"Well, most of it," Connor said. "Travis and I didn't care how our room looked, but it was nice for people to come over and not sneeze from dust. Anyway, so, every day for a week before school pictures, I would sit down with Merry and french braid her hair twice. I was really bad at first, but, by the time picture day came around, she had perfect braids."

"Oh, that's so sweet," Katie said.

Connor suddenly reached forward. "Hair band, please." Katie handed him the hair band that had kept her bun in place. He tied off the braid. "If you let it dry like that, your hair will be cool when you take the braid out."

"I know that," Katie said. She lightly ran her hand over the braid. She then turned to face Connor. "So, why did you leave, if you were so close to her?"

"Well, as you can imagine, spending all that time with her, my scent rubbed off on her," Connor said. He looked to the side, so Katie was looking at the profile of his face. "As she was on her way home that day, as she said, a 'dog' apparently sniffed her out. It attacked, and luckily realized that she wasn't a demigod and ran off. But, she was injured and was in the ICU for a few days. Travis and I hunted down what attacked her, which happened to be a Hellhound. We destroyed it, but then decided it was too dangerous for her to have us around. I mean, one demi-god is bad enough, but two... We go back three times a year. Thanksgiving, our mom's birthday, and Merry's birthday."

Katie gazed at him. He was still staring off in the distance, and Katie knew that he was thinking about his sister. He clearly loved Merry very much. She was an only child on her father's side, so she only knew about having demigod siblings. She couldn't imagine leaving her father to keep him safe, and it sounded like leaving a real sibling was even harder.

"Let's head back," Katie said after another few moments. She stood up and grabbed her sundress, slipping it back on. Connor nodded and followed suit, grabbing her bag and towel before she could, carrying it for her. She appreciated the chivalry.

* * *

**Okay, today's questions are...**

**Which PJO cannon characters do you guys want me to add? And please don't say all. And there is little possibility that I will add Nico. I don't think I would like to write him.**

**Should someone else have his eye on Katie (someone that wasn't spelled by the Aphrodite cabin)?**

**What did you think of Connor in this chapter?**


	5. Chapter 5

Brothers and Sisters

Katie walked back into her cabin to find her siblings. They all turned and stared at her as she put her bag down and sat on her bed, a smile on her face. She and Connor had missed lunch, but she still had some strawberry treats from the night before.

"Enjoy your date with Connor?" one sister, Mimis, asked. She was two years younger than Katie, and was best friends with a girl from Aphrodite. Katie had figured out that she had been the one to supply the picture of Katie for the spell the Aphrodite cabin did.

Katie went wide-eyed. "What? That wasn't a date!"

Theresa, who was only twelve, snorted. "Oh, that so was a date. You went to the beach, wearing a dress, and it was just the two of you. And you were gone for hours."

"Sounds like a date to me," her only brother, Demitrius, said. He then turned to Katie. "He didn't try any... funny business, did he? Because if he needs someone to teach him a lesson..."

Katie crossed her arms. "It wasn't a date," Katie said again. "A date ends in a kiss, and there was no kissing." She then stared at Demitrius. "And where was your protective brother instinct every time I was pranked?"

"Laughing," Demitrius said. "Hey, as long as they're not defiling my siblings, I'm okay."

"Anyway," Miranda said, interrupting before Katie could yell at Demitrius. "We are going to be late to the arena, and if we are, Clarisse said that she's going to take it for her own cabin to practice in. So, let's go."

Katie sighed, grabbing her armor and celestial bronze knife. Ever since Miranda had stepped up as head counselor, she felt like she got picked on a little more. The Stolls had certainly started pranking her more often when that happened, well, until just the other day. Her siblings were a little more organized, and they all spent more time training, getting stronger and more skilled. Katie had always been more about the plants and harvest, and while Miranda did set aside time for that, she also knew that demigod and Half-Blood were synonymous with hero.

Everyone had paired off by the time Katie arrived at the arena. Granted, everyone else used larger, longer weapons than she used. She lightly bit her lip, looking at everyone else practicing. They were all getting better, and she hadn't improved since then end of the Titan war. All her siblings, who she had been on par with the year before, were now all better than her. All but the ten year old who had just arrived that summer.

Miranda noticed that Katie was on her own. She waved Katie over to where she stood with Mimis. "You two, work on some close combat. I'm going to help everyone with the specifics to improve."

"So, you never did answer my question," Mimis said, getting into battle stance. Katie gripped her knife and got ready.

Mimis came at Katie, but Katie managed to block the attack. "What question?" Katie asked. She then gasped as Mimis twisted her sword and it hit Katie on the side. She stopped it from cutting.

"You'd be dead," Mimis said, stepping back. "And did you enjoy your date?"

"It wasn't a date," Katie said stepping back as well, getting ready for another sparring match, even though the first one had been ridiculously short.

"Whatever," Mimis said, standing at ready. She allowed Katie to attack first this time. Katie came straight on, and with a strong swing Mimis knocked Katie's sword arm wide and came at Katie with an elbow, halting just before her elbow would have hit Katie's throat. "Did you enjoy it?"

Katie blushed a bit. "It was nice," she said finally. She reached up and pushed Mimis elbow away from her throat. "I had a good time."

"Oh, Thisbe is going to go nuts," Mimis said. "She totally thought you'd immediately shoot them both down and they'd just hide in their cabin all summer un mourning."

Katie stared at Mimis. "So, this is just a game to you and your friends in the Aphrodite cabin?"

"I wouldn't say a game..." Mimis said, avoiding eye contact.

"Because it's not funny," Katie said. "You know, people are going to get hurt in this."

Mimis cocked her head, her red hair spilling from its loose ponytail. "Are you afraid that you might be one of those people?" she asked.

"What?"

"Oh, you are actually starting to develop feelings for them besides pure loathing," Mimis said.

"Not even," Katie said.

"And, you're afraid that you'll actually fall for one and suddenly, the spell will wear off and they will totally forget you," Mimis continued, getting really excited.

"I don't see either of you with your weapon ready," Miranda said, stepping between the two. "Do I need to split you two up?"

* * *

Connor was whistling as he walked back into the Hermes cabin. He didn't even swing by the kitchens to steal a snack. He was in high spirits. His trip to the beach with Katie had been mostly a success, even if she hadn't allowed him to kiss her.

All his siblings were gone when he arrived back, but that was okay. He climbed onto his bunk and just lay back, staring at the ceiling. However, his mind was replaying images from the day. Katie's giggle when she had actually pulled a small prank on him. The sparkle of her smile as they were splashing one another. Her calling, worriedly for him. How she tried to hide herself behind her arms when she showed him her suit. Mostly, however, it was the feel of her skin and hair from the brief moments he was able to touch her.

It had been different from crawling into her bed at four in the morning, because this time, she had been awake and aware when he touched her. He wondered if his touch had sent tingles through her body, the way his hands were now nearly numb with tingles.

However, the more that he replayed the excursion, the more he remembered telling her about Merry. He reached into his bag and pulled out a picture from the previous year. His mother and Merry, smiling, picture taken by one of his mother's boyfriends. He missed Merry the most about home. However, even though she had been nearly attached to his hip when they were younger, the last time he and Travis had gone in for a visit, Merry barely acknowledged his existence.

"Do you plan to spend the rest of the day sleeping?"

Connor was so surprised by Travis's voice that he literally jumped. He hadn't heard the creak of the cabin door open, nor any steps across the floor. Usually Connor would have picked up on those sounds.

"I'm not asleep," Connor said. "I'm just day dreaming."

"Yes, well, move," Travis said. "It's our turn to clean the stables today, and seeing as you flaked on all our morning activities, you have no excuse to not help."

Connor sighed, but climbed out of his bed. He quickly changed back to his orange Camp Half-Blood shirt and a pair of pants, slipping into his dirtier pair of his two pairs of shoes. He then followed an annoyed Travis out to the stables.

"So, why are you mad at me?" Connor asked as they were halfway there and Travis hadn't said a word.

"I'm not mad at you," Travis said, though the annoyance in his voice was clear and evident.

"Is this about how I went to the beach with Katie and left you out?" Connor asked.

"You know how I feel about her," Travis said loudly, stopping his progress and turning to face Connor.

"And you never bothered to ask me how I felt about her," Connor said.

"Because you drool over every model and actress and Aphrodite girl that you spot," Travis said.

"Maybe it was because I was distracting myself from who I really wanted," Connor said. "Because, Zeus forbid you have competition. You're just mad because you know you can't win. This time next week, she won't remember your name."

"Ha!" Travis snapped. "This time tomorrow, she won't remember you exist."

"Oh, you are so on!" Connor growled.

"Will you two shut it and get to the stables already?" Chris asked, a piece of hay sticking out of his hair. "You're supposed to be heads of the cabin, and yet you two are the least responsible guys I know."

Travis and Connor looked at one another for a moment. "He's dating Clarisse and he's calling _us_ irresponsible?" Connor asked.

"You're right," Travis said with a nod. A smirk spread on each Stoll's face. "First to catch him gets to invite Katie to the fireworks while the other has to take on half the Cabin Eleven chores himself."

"Okay, I'm just gonna leave you two..." Chris said, backing away.

"You're on," Connor said. The two Stolls turned toward Chris at the same time and ran at him. Chris smiled a bit, but turned and ran, heading in the general direction of where the Ares' siblings were.

* * *

**So, who will win? Connor or Travis? Or either of them? Don't forget to review!**

**I'd like one piece of constructive criticism from each of you, if possible. Whether it be a mistake that I may have missed, either grammar or a detail I got wrong. As well, I'd like you to tell me something from this story which you really don't like, and one thing that you really do like, whether it be big or small. This way I can fix mistakes, and see if there are any trends among my readers.**

**As well, if you've read Demi-god Trap, the sequel now two full chapters posted, I believe. So, if you haven't already read that, if you could and review for that as well.**


	6. Chapter 6

**Okay, here's the next chapter. Very little of the Stolls in this chapter. But, the next one will have them, be sure of that. But, I still like it. It's one continuous scene, no breaks in what is happening.**

**Also, for those of you that like RPing, especially if you have your own characters, I have an RP which I have just revamped and am looking for others to join. So, check it out. I'll leave the address at the end of the chapter.**

* * *

The Malcolm encounter

When Katie went to Greek class the next morning, she was glad that she finally was at an activity where no one mentioned a Stoll, and there weren't any signs of any Stolls.

As she was only a summer camper, she was a little behind other's her age, and instead had a private session with just Malcolm and Will Solace. Malcolm was the tutor. It was one of her favorite activities, three times a week, as the three got along great, sat in the Athena cabin, and snacked on strawberries and Malcolm's home-brewed soda.

Today, Malcolm decided to bring them up to date on all the mortals and demi-gods that were affected by Hera due to Zeus's infidelity. He had taken every precaution to not be over-heard by Hera or Zeus, including a magical shield, a request to Percy that he do something that might attract their attention (to which Percy decided to go on a short monster hunting quest), and a prayer to his mother that she keep them distracted should they try to eaves drop.

"Does Lou know about her sister Lamia?" Katie asked after Malcolm told them about the once queen of Libya?

"And for the third time this hour, you've made me glad I'm not a child of Zeus," Will said. "For the sake of my mother."

"Well, Lamia's children are then killed as well," Malcolm added.

Will shivered.

"Wait, wouldn't those children be, like, super powerful?" Katie asked. "I mean, the demi-god abilities of Zeus's children along with the possibility of having some of Hecate's abilities."

"Man, I didn't think of that," Will said.

"True," Malcolm said. "But, I believe that Hera did. It may have been why she took the interest in making sure that they were killed while young, which further punished Lamia." He smiled. They were out of strawberries and had each finished his or her cup of soda. "Anyway, we'll continue this in two days with Heracles. If you could both read the assigned myths in case you might forget what we discussed today, and brush up a little on the Heracles myths."

"Will do," Will said, standing up with his books.

"Don't speak in the third person, Will," Katie teased him.

Will just chuckled and stuck his tongue out at her before turning and walking out. Katie was still getting her books and papers in order. She also insisted that she help Malcolm clean up after every session. After all, she always brought the strawberries.

Katie stacked the glasses as Malcolm closed his laptop and put that back on his desk. His books had countless tabs in them, each marking different stories, and different colors were used for different kinds of stories.

"Wow, you like to keep yourself busy," Katie said as she noticed Malcolm slip one of his books back onto a book shelf that was already overstuffed with books. "Have you read all of these?"

Malcolm nodded. "Yeah, at least once. A few I've read multiple times. Like the plays of Shakespeare," he smiled.

"You read Shakespeare?" Katie asked. "Like, willingly?"

"Sure," Malcolm said. "Why wouldn't I?"

"I can barely get through Romeo and Juliet unless it's starring Leonardo DiCaprio," Katie said, her cheeks reddening a bit. She put the plate and glasses on Malcolm's desk and then grabbed her own books.

"What surprises me is how few of the children of Apollo read him," Malcolm said. "After all, everything he writes is poetry."

"Wait, was Apollo Shakespeare's father?" Katie asked.

Malcolm smirked. "No," he said. Katie couldn't figure out why she was so disappointed to hear this. "Thalia was."

Katie was a little confused. "Thalia... daughter of Zeus?"

"Thalia the Muse for which Thalia Grace was named," Malcolm said.

"Oh..." Katie said softly, making a perfect O with her mouth.

"Well, at least I know what next week will be focused on," Malcolm said. He had finally finished putting all his books away. He picked up the items that needed to be returned to the Big House kitchen. "Do you want to go to the fireworks with me?"

Katie, dropped her books in shock. "Wha..."

Malcolm looked away from her. "I, uh..." he turned to look at her again with his grey eyes. "I mean, if you don't already have a date," he said. "I mean, I imagine I'm too late in asking, but I figured if there was a chance..."

"I mean, I don't have a date," she said. "But, I didn't think you were at all interested..."

"What's not to be interested in?" Malcolm asked, clearly genuinely interested.

"Well, for one thing, there are about a thousand girls prettier," Katie said. "And smarter... funnier..."

"Katie, you are all those things," Malcolm said. "Equally. I mean, maybe you're not the prettiest, I mean there is a whole cabin of daughters of Aphrodite." Katie frowned a bit. "But, you're still pretty. And talking to you isn't like talking to a brick, the way it is with them." At that, Katie blushed. "And, sure, you might not be academically smart, but if I wanted to talk about books and science, I've got a whole cabin of siblings for that. And, I don't see you up on a night club stage telling jokes, but-"

"Malcolm, you really have no clue how to charm a girl, do you?" Katie asked. Every other thing he had said had made her feel a little worse.

"I uh, well, I've never successfully asked one out," Malcolm said. "And, every time I've tried a new result, I've had the same result. I figure that eventually I'd find the right way-"

"Stop," Katie said. She took a deep breath. "Asking girls out is not like a science experiment. Different approaches work on different girls."

"Oh," Malcolm blushed a little. It made him seem a little more normal than he usually seemed because he was always so put together and rarely was wrong. "Well, what would be the best approach for asking you?"

"You can't ask a girl that," Katie said. "Because, telling you would be cheating." She looked to the side, out a window, and noticed the two Stolls exiting their cabin. They had both asked her, in unison, and she had settled it by telling them that they each had to ask her in a big, showy, flashy way, and whoever had the better show, could accompany her. "But... If you can beat out Travis and Connor..."

"Beat them at what?" Malcolm asked, seeming very hesitant.

"I sort of promised them that whoever could ask me in the biggest, showiest, flashiest, most romantic way could take me... but I never said that it could only be between them."

Malcolm blinked a few times. Sure, he wasn't shy or anything, but he had never really done much to call attention to himself. He was always just there, but not particularly in the limelight.

"Katie!" Connor's voice sounded loudly from the next cabin over, where they had apparently expected to find her.

"I have to..." Katie said, pointing to the door. She bent forward and grabbed her books before turning and making her way out the door. She had only made it half way to her cabin when she was confronted by Travis.

"Where have you been?" he asked. "I have been worried sick about you."

"I told you that I would be having my tutor session with Malcolm and Will," Katie said, indicating to her books.

"All that studying is bad for you," Connor said.

"I'm more concerned about you spending time with those two, alone," Travis said. "How about you ask Annabeth to tutor you."

Katie eyed Travis, and then rolled her eyes. "I'm going to put my books away, and then I'm going to lunch."

"Oh, is it nearly lunchtime already?" Travis feigned not knowing. "What a coincidence. I'll escort you."

Katie sighed deeply and walked into her cabin, the boys following. "You know, I can do this on my own," Katie said, placing the books on her nightstand.

"You know," Travis said, grabbing her notebook and flipping through a few pages, turning away as Katie snatched at it. "Maybe I could tutor you." He turned his face to her. "We could have study dates."

"I'm sure that I don't need _your_ 'expertise' on Greek history," Katie said.

"Um, this is wrong," Travis said, pointing at something she had written. "Dionysus wasn't originally an Olympian. Hestia was. She stepped aside to allow him her throne when he ascended to Godhood."

"I... wait, what?" Katie asked. She snatched her notebook and she had listed Dionysus as an original Olympian.

"And you don't have any notes about the twelve Titans that made up the Titan 'Olympians'," Travis added, using finger quotes around 'Olympians.'

"Who?" Katie asked slowly.

Travis and Connor smiled. Connor started. "Oceanus, Tethys, Hyperion."

"Theia, Phoebe, Rhea."

"Coeus, Mnemosyne, Themis."

"Crius, Iapetus, and, lastly."

"Cronus," they finished together.

Katie stared at them. "How do you know this?"

"What, just because we're Stolls and kids of Hermes we can't be smart?" Travis asked.

"Do you know how much mechanical knowledge we need to pull off half the pranks we do?" Connor asked.

"Plus, we're here nearly the full year around," Travis added. "Winter lessons with Chiron are the most interesting thing when there are five other people at the camp and Annabeth threatens castration if any pranks are pulled on her."

"Anyway, lunch awaits," Connor said.

Katie put her notebook back on her desk. "I like my study group," she said as they dragged her along.

**Once again, review. So, here's a few questions.**

**How did you like that portrayal of Malcolm? I was between that or something akin to Leonard in the Big Bang Theory, not that they're too different...**

**And, who do you think will pull the best show to ask Katie?**

**Also, my RP forum.**

** forum/Camp-Olympus-A-PJOHoO-RP/99012/**

**Just remember to replace the.s with actual dots. And, I know it says a PJO/HoO RP, but it's been revamped to Camp Half-Blood and all Greek gods, and only OCs. **


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